Brown delays Iraq pullout after deal with Bush

Gordon Brown has agreed a US request to freeze the withdrawal of British troops in Iraq.

During his first formal talks with George Bush as Prime Minister, Mr Brown suspended further decisions until autumn, dousing hopes of an early handover of the Basra region to Iraqi control.

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President Bush and Gordon Brown walk across the Camp David grass for their news conference

Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives at Camp David to meet President Bush

Speaking at a Camp David press conference, Mr Brown said both the US and UK were aiming for "step-by-step" moves to control to the Iraqi authorities.

Bur Mr Brown said that decisions about troops would only be made "on the military advice of our commanders on the ground," echoing language often heard from Bush.

Mr Bush told reporters: "This is going to take a long time in Iraq, just like the ideological struggle is going to take a long time," he said.

The meeting was an attempt by the two leaders to seek common footing between leaders new to each other but overseeing one of the world's most important alliances.

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Mr Brown and President Bush share a buggy ride

In wide-ranging press conference, Mr Brown also said he supported Mr Bush's "bold initiative" to make early progress in Middle East peace talks.

He described Afghanistan as the "frontline against terrorism" and said whenever more troops were needed they have been provided by the UK.

On Iran, he said he was in agreement with the US that sanctions are working and that the "next stage" would be to toughen the sanctions regime further with a new UN resolution.

He described Darfur as "the greatest humanitarian disaster" the world faces, and said he had agreed with Mr Bush to "expedite" a UN resolution for a joint UN/African Union force.

Mr Brown added: "We have had full and frank discussions. We have had the capacity and ability to meet yesterday for two hours to discuss person-to-person some of the great issues of our time."

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Special relationship: Gordon Brown hopes to strengthen the UK's bond with America

Plans to move 5,000 British troops to their barracks will now have to wait, for the outcome of a report by America's commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. It is due in mid-September and will give a verdict into the effectiveness of the American troop surge in Baghdad.

There were reports that the White House had been worried that Mr Brown wants to get out early. Simon McDonald, his chief foreign policy adviser, was reported to have discussed the possibility with Washington officials but Downing Street said the policy was still to stay until Iraqi troops can handle security without help.

Labour MP Kevan Jones, a member of the defence select committee, argued that General Petraeus was "quite comfortable" with the withdrawal of British troops provided it was orderly and that Iraqi forces could take over. He added: "We need to be looking at what we can do to help Iraq post-withdrawal of British troops."

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Tony Blair and George Bush at Camp David in February 2001 where they discovered they both used Colgate toothpaste

Later Mr Brown was moving on to Capitol Hill for cross-party talks with leading figures from the Senate and House of Representatives - although he was not making time to see Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Tonight he flies to New York ready for talks tomorrow with UN general secretary Ban Ki-moon.